Card-feeding apparatus



June 28, 1921. E. A. FORD GARD FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 11V ON 4am .wir l NTI i W1: Nm.

@ aww/maa l June 28 1927. E. A. FORD CARD FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug.13, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .MSW

Patented June 2s, 1927.

UNITED STATES P-.firrzla'r OFFICE.

EUGENE A'. FORD, OF SCARSDALE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '1.0 T HE TBULATINGMA- CHINE COMPANY, F ENDICOTT, ,NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LeAnn-rename Arrmrus.

Application led August 13, 1925. Serial No. 50,693.

This invention pertains to card feeding devices such as are used incard'sorters, tabulating machines, and other machines of like nature.

An apparatus of that kind generally ini cludes a -magazine in which astack of cards is placed, and a picker device which feeds 'one card at at-ime'from the stack.-

It is necessary that each card be 1n an l0 exact position at the timethe picker acts on it, for two reasons, first, in order that themechanical operation of the picker be properly carried out, and second,in order that the index, perforations -on the card may be in properposition relative to the analyzing or sensing devices of the machineinto which the cards are fed. i' Heretofore, in order to insure theabove results it has been customary to make the card magazine of suchsizel that the stack of cards would fit into it rather snugly, thusmaking it necessary for the operator to very carefully jog the cards toalign them before they could be placed in the magazine.

@ne of the objects of kmy present invention is to provide j'o'gging(aligning) means in the feeding apparatus itself, in order to lightenthe work of the operator, and to better insure the cards reaching thecard picker in proper condition to be, fed.

Another object of my invention is to continually jog the cards in themagazine so there will be no possibility of cards being stuck togetherwhen they reach the picker.-d

Another object is to bring about the above results with no joggingactiony eifectiveon a card at the instant it is about to be fed from themagazine. Further and other advantages of the present invention willhereafter appearin the specification and in the drawings, which, by wayof illustration, show what I now consider to be the preferred embodimentof the /invention For purposes of illustration and explanation I haveshown my invention as applied to the card `sorting apparatusdisclosed inmy copending application, Serial No. 34,077, iled ,June 1, 1925.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an end view of theasorter, partly -in section, showingcardmagazine, pickers,

and jmy jogging devices. j

Fig. 2 is a side view, `partly in section,

on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.`

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

4 isan end view of F ig; 3.

Fig. 5 is a view on line 5--5 of Fig. 1, showing vthe actuating meansfor the jogger.

10 is a stack of cards in the magazine, with the customary weight -plate11 on top -of the stack. Cards are fed one at a time from the bottom ofthe stack by pickers 12, through throat 13 to the upper and lower feedrolls 14 and 15 respectively, past the analyzing brush 16, carried bythe brush holding and setting structure designated generally as 17.

Pickersv 12 are carried by reciprocating cross heads'20 'actuated byarms 21 fast to shaft22-which is rocked every card cycle -by link 23,which in turn is actuated by a crank' on the end of continually rotatingshaft 25, driveh throughvgear 26 by Worm 27 on shaft. 28,' which is themain drive shaft of the machine. All of the above is fully described inmy copending application above referred to.

Fast on shaft 25 is ai gear 30, meshing with gear 31 which is secured tocrankshaft 32` carried in bearings in fixed bracket-33 (Figs. 1,v 2, and5). On the end of shaft 32 is formed a crank pin 35 on which is a crosshead 36. Mounted on cross head 36 is a cross member 38 having at itscenter a vertical slot 39 the sides of which closely engage suitablechannels in cross headl 36. It. will vbe evident that as shaft 32revolves, crank pin 35 will cause member* 38 to vibrate endwise onaccount of its engagement with cross head 36. Member 38 will receive novertical movement from pin 35 because the cross head is freev to movelvertically in slot 39.

The two ends of member 38 pivotally engage at 40 the lower ends ofvertical arms 42. These arms 42 are fast to shafts 44 which are in thesame horizontal plane as card throat 13.

Fast to shafts 44 and extending upwardly are the plates 46 which serveas the two end walls ofthe card magazine.

With this construction it is evident that as 38 vibrates back and forth,a rockiii vi-k bratory motion will be imparted to p ates. 46 about theirplvots 44, and that thecards the bottom.

in the magazine will be Logged endwise thereby.

Plates 46 are slightly tapered, so their distance apart, or in otherWords, theelength of the magazine is greater at the top than at Thismeans that cards comparatively imperfectly jogged by the operator may beplaced on top of the stack and will be perfectly jogged, loosened, andaligned by the time they reach the picker. The jogging effect graduallydecreases as the card feeding position is approached, and at the feedingposition there 1s no jogging effect Whatever, as the pivot line 44 is inthe same plane as the card being fed.

l. In a card feeding apparatus, a card magazine able Walls, and means tovibrate both of said Walls to jog both edges of the cards which aredisposed in a stack between said walls.

2. `In a card feeding` *apparatus including in combination, card feedingmeans arf ranged to Withdraw cards from the bottom` of a stack, a cardmagazine having vibratory Walls to jog the said stack of cards, andmeans to vibrate said walls While the cards are being fed from saidmagazine.

3. In a card feeding` apparatus, a card magazine adapted to retaintherein a stack of cards, devices to'feed cards therefrom, and meansincluding positively actuated devices to jog the stack of cards in onedirection and then in the opposite direction While the stack is in themagazine.

4. In combination, a -card magazine, a device to feed cards therefromone at a time, means to jog the cards in said magazine having oppositelydisposed mov,

while cards are being lfed therefrom said jogging means havingprovisions to effect a maximum action on cards furthest from the feedingdevice, said action u'pon the cards decreasing as the feeding device isapproached.

5. In combination, a card magazine, a device to feed cards therefrom oneat a time, means to jog the cards 'in said magazine Whi'le cards arebeing fed therefrom, said jogging means having provisionsto preventjogging action on the card which is m position to be engaged by saidfeeding device.

6. The invention set forth in claim 4, in which the jogging meanscomprises vibratory Walls of said card magazine.

7. The invention set forth in claim 5, in which the jogging meanscomprises vibra-` .tory walls of said card magazine.

8. The invention4 set forth in claim 3, in which means is provided toprevent jogging the card about to be fed.

9. A card feeding device including a ma 4 azine adapted to retain a'stack of car s therein, means for feeding a card from the bottom of thestack in said magazine, card jogging means comprising vibr'atory Wallsfor the magazine disposed at opposite edges of the stack, and means forpositively vibrating bQth of .the said Walls to effect a maximum joggingactin upon the cards most distant from the bottom' of the stack and toeffect no jogging action upon the card which is being fed" from thebottom of the stack.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my EUGENE VA. EoRD.

signature.

